Finkbeiner misunderstands

The Seattle Times praises State Senator Bill Finkbeiner for changing his position on the gay rights bill. Whatever. The thing that actually motivated me to blog today was a comment Senator Finkbeiner made on the John Carlson Show last night.

Finkbeiner said something to the effect of, "I tend to be a libertarian on personal and business issues." I think he misses, quite widely, one of the firm tennants of libertarianism. That being, that as an individual you have the right to associate, whether in personal dealings, business, financial, educationally, with whomever you wish.

What Finkbeiner says, in supporting the revision of the discrimination laws, is that if you own property, you cannot decide to whom to rent your property. If you own a business, you cannot decide who you hire. Your freedom of association is subjugated to a state mandated right of others to your business and property.

If Finkbeiner was truly "libertarian" on these issues, he would be pushing for the complete removal of the discrimination statute. If he was truly "libertarian" he would understand the difference of preventing the state from discriminating (clearly a violation of citizens rights) and preventing an individual from discriminating against whomever they choose(a Constitutionally protected right).

UPDATE Rhetorical: What happens in the case of a white supremecist rental owner and a Phillipino renter? The discrimination clearly protects the white supremecist's "creed" while also protecting the renter's race. Which takes precedence?